Just give me a reason✔️ ~ Mileven drama and smut~

Chapter 10

It had taken her three hours to pick an outfit.

To be fair, she didn't really know what one would wear to go and get dumped. Should she dress nice, or would that seem desperate? But she didn't want to look like a slob... or give it away that she'd already cried. What said "I'm here and I'm listening but also I don't give a fuck about you anymore"?

In the end she'd settled on one of her favorite dresses, pink with a peter pan collar. It was an echo of the one she'd worn that first week, Nancy's castoff, and she felt comfortable in it. Maybe he would remember that week, maybe he would feel bad about what he was about to do.

With a heavy sigh she walked out of Will's room, towards the kitchen, where she figured Joyce would be. Hopper was still at work but her stepmom didn't mind lending her the car.

"Joyce? Can I borrow your keys?"

Joyce looked up from the magazine she was reading. "Oh, sure. Where are you going?"

For a second she considered lying, but quickly shook herself out of it. Joyce didn't deserve that, not after she'd been so kind.

"The Wheelers'. Mike is there. We're going to... talk," she confessed. "I might come back crying. I don't know."

The older women looked stunned, setting her magazine down on the table and nodding contemplatively. She got up and walked to her purse, digging her keys out of her purse and then handing them to El.

"Do you need anything else?" she asked.

"No." El shook her head. "I just... want to get it over with."

"Are you going to end it?"

"I think so. I think that's what he wants," El said simply. "It's probably best... I can't keep living how we were and I don't think he wants to change. I hope it's okay if I move back in for a bit."

"Of course, sweetheart." Joyce's hands cupped her cheeks gently. "I told you, you're welcome to stay as long as you need. Even if that's a for the rest of your life. This is your home too, El. Whatever happens, you can always come back here."

El felt tears well up and then she was hugging the small woman, feeling gratitude pour out of every fiber of her. How did she get so lucky? A second chance at having a real dad, and now a real mom? Despite everything that lab had tried to take from her, it had failed. She had a family now, a real one.

"Thank you," she whispered, feeling a rush of gratitude.

"You don't need to thank me. That's what family does."

After a few more minutes of hugging, El pulled back and wiped her eyes, feeling a little bit silly but better than before. She only wished her dad was here too... a good luck hug from him always made her feel better. Oh well.

Sniffling again, she held up the keys and nodded before turning steeling herself and turning to go. It was six and he'd said six-ish and she supposed being late would be rude. It would be better to get it over with as soon as possible and then come back and cry and cry and cry... and then try and get over it.

She knew the way without thinking about it, driving down the familiar roads to the cul-de-sac, parking and staring at the house for a solid five minutes before getting out. It didn't feel unusual to go around the back instead of the front, but she still felt like some sort of gross secret that wasn't allowed through the front. Whatever. It didn't matter.

Standing in front of the door to the basement she took a deep breath.

She was ready.

Mike wasn't ready.